Windmill



(No. Model.)

' {Sheds-Sheet 1. G. W. RUNDLETT.

WIND MILL.

No. 347,385. Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

; INVBNTOR" @2 1: 7a ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

N. PETERS. Phoin-Lilhographer. wuhin mn. mt.

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. RUNDLETT.

WINDMILL.

No. 347,385. Patented Au 17, 1886.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllffl' TillIIIIIIIIIJHIHIIHIIIIIWW.

[millfllllllllllllll'd: g v v I ll I.

I mumnml UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE W. RUNDLETT, OF FREEPORI, ILLINOIS.

,WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,385, dated August I7, 1886.

Application filed December 11, 1895. Serial No. 185,419. No model.)

Be it known that I',GEORGE W. RUNDLETT,

a resident of Fr'eeport,in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. r

My invention relates to improvements in windmills, and particularly to improvements in brakes for retarding or stopping the revolution of the wind-wheeLand is fully described in this specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, 'to which this specification refers, and in which-- Figure 1 is a sideelevationbf the central portion of a windmill, showing a portion of the vane-casting, and also of the wind-wheel shaft with the brake and its accessories in v place. Fig.2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow a,Fig.1,sectionybeing made on the ing I, bolted to the main castingA.

line X Y,and parts not essential to an under standing of my'invention'being omitted. Fig. 3 is a section on the line XY,looking in the direction a. Fig. 4 is aview in the direction a, Fig. 1, section having been made on the line X Y, which corresponds to X Y in Fig. 2;

and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detail views' illustrating certain modifications'of the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4.

In Fig. 1,A is the turn-table, and A A the casting supporting the principal parts of the mill. B is the wind-wheel shaft; 0, the vanesupporting casting. D is the wind-wheel, or that portion of it to which the arms are attached; E, the pivot of the vane; F, the crankplate G, a cylindrical surface,against which a brake-shoe, H, may be made to press. J is a short cylinder closely fitting opening in the shoe H,and is placed eccentrically on the shaft K, which is supported in bearings in the cast- L is a spring-lever for rotating the shaft K,to which it is rigidly attaohed,and with it the eccentric J. L is a spring for returning the springlever L to its normal position, and N is a rod which actuates the spring-lever L when the not in the same "ertical plane, the latter being set 0d the center, or' at one side of the central vertical axis of the mill.

It is supported in this position by the projections O and U upon the upper and lower parts, respectively, of the main casting A A A. The spring L is attached to the lever L,and passes over a rigid projection, S, fromthe main casting, and the lever can rotate fromits normal position in the direction of the arrow at only by overcoming the resistance of this spring.

Fig. 3 shows the relative position of the friction-cylinder G, which is formed integrally with the arm-supporting castings D of the wind-wheel, central shaft,B, shoe H,eccentric J,and eccentric-shaft K, when all are in their normal positions. Fig. 4 shows the normal relation of the main casting, the vane-casting with its rod N, and the springlever L. Now, when the windwheel is carried out of the wind in the direction m, Fig. 4, the spring-lever L is carried against the rod N upon the vane-casting, and as this is prevented from yielding by the directive force of the wind acting on the vane, the lever is forced backward in the direction m, Fig. 2, while the spring L slides upon the pin S, and this rotation is communicated to the eccentric J, Figs. 1 and 3, through the castingI and shaft K. The rotation of the eccen- 'trio in its bearing in the shoe H presses the latter against the surface G and stops the revocomes the friction of the eccentric and of the shaft K in their bearings, and restores both lever and shoe to their normal positions. Lugs M M upon the vane-casting are adapted to strike, respectively, the opposite sides, A A, of the main casting, and thus limit, the relative positions of the wind-wheel and vane.

It is evident that various modifications of form may be introduced into my invention ICO without changing its essence or operation.

For instance, the lever L may be rigid, and, being loosely mounted on the shaft K, may be connected with it by a spring, as at S, Fig. 5; or the shaft K may be in two parts, and the parts be connected by a spring, S, Fig. 6; or the eccentric J maybe loosely mounted on the shaft K and connected therewith by a spring, 8', Fig. 7. The spring L may be replaced by a coiled spring, as S, Fig. 8, or by a weight, L, attached to the lever L, as shown in Fig. 10; and on the other hand the elastic factor of the mechanism may be transferred to the vanecasting, any form of spring or weight being employed with the rod N, or equivalent part, which strikes the lever L. One form of the modification last suggested is illustrated in Fig. 9, in which the rigid rod N is replaced by a spring-rod, N, having at its point of attachment a spring-coil, N, a stop, N, on the vanecasting serving to limit the motion of the rod N with reference to the vane-casting.

It is evident that the position of the frie tion-surface G on the windwvheel shaft is not material, but that it may be placed wherever desired for convenience of construction.

1. The combination, with the pivoted main castings of a windmill, of a vane attached to one of said main castings and a wind-wheel shaft journalcd in the other, a friction-surface rigidly fastened to and rotating with said wind-wheel shaft, a rock-shaft journaled in suitable bearings on the wind-wheetsuppora ing casting, an eccentric rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft, a brakeshoe mounted on said eccentric and adapted to be pressed against or withdrawn from said friction-surface by the rotation of the rock-shaft and eccentric, and a connection between the rock-shaft and the vane-casting, whereby a given variation of the angular position of the main castings may rotate the rock-shaft and press the brake-shoe against said friction-surface.

2. The combination, with the pivoted main castings of a windmill, a vane attached to one of said castings, and a wind-wheel shaft journaled in the other, of a friction-surface rigidly fastened to and rotating with said shaft, a rock-shaft journaled in bearings on the windwheel-supporting casting, an eccentric rigidly mounted on said rock shaft, a brake-shoe mounted on said eccentric and adapted to be pressed against said friction-surface or withdrawn therefrom by the rotation of the eccentrio, and a spring-connection between said rock-shaftand the vane-casting, whereby a given angular approach of one of said main castings to the other shall rotate said rockshaft and press said brake-shoe with a yielding pressure against said friction-surface.

3. The combination, with the pivotally-connected main castings of awindmill, a vane fastened to one of said castings, and a windwheel shaft jonrnaled in the other, of a friction-surface fastened to the windwheel shaft, a suitably-jonrnaled rock-shaft, an eccentric fastened thereon, and a brake-shoe mounted on the eccentric, a lever fastened to the rockshaft and adapted to be actuated by the vanecasting when the main castings reach a given angular position, and when so actuated to press the brake-shoe against the friction-surface, and a spring connecting said lever with the wind-wheel-snpportiug casting and adapt ed to return the lever to its normal position when the pressure of the vane-casting is removed.

4. The combination of the main casting A A A, the vane-casting O, pivoted thereto, the wind-wheel shaft B, journaled in said main casting, the friction-surface G fastened to and rotating with the wind-wheel shaft, the journaled rock-shaft K, provided with the cocentric J, the brake-shoe H, mounted on said eccentric, the elastic lever L, fastened to the shaft K and adapted to be oscillated by the vane-casting, and the auxiliary spring L, 00-

operating with a stop on the main casting, to return the lever to its normal position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a windmill, a head and a vane capable of angular approach, a brake-shoe suitably mounted upon said head and acting upon a surface rigidly connected with and rotating about the axis of the wind-wheel shaft, a spring adapted to be flexed by the angular approach of the head and vane and to transmit the flexing force to said brake-shoe, whereby said shoe is pressed against said surface, retarding the rotation of the wind-wheel shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE V. RUNDLETT.

\Vitnesses:

M. V. B. ELsoN, J OSEPH B. SMITH. 

